When I was asked to read the latest anthology by Jeanne Allen,Jeanine Berry,Shannah Biondine, and Sheri L. McGathy
I said 'yes!' without hesitation. The authors have teamed up again to
create Twilight Crossings II, the sequel to their previous
anthology by the same name. Like the original, this collection is
sure to delight fantasy fans of all ages.

The book opens with Sheri McGathy's Where Lies Beauty, a tale inspired by a fairy tale that captured this
reader's attention from the first paragraph. McGathy sets the tone for
her story very quickly with the questions: "What
was perfection without the shadow of fault?
and "Can
beauty's light survive if hidden within the cloying mantle of darkness?"
Tanner must learn to cry again if Manny's world is to be saved but
years of brutality and slavery have taught her never to surrender to her
emotions.

Mourn a Moonreft
Skytakes us into Shannah
Biondine's dark fantasy world of Dredonia. The scholar, Zavend is more
than he seems yet despite his origins, his naiveté threatens the success
of his mission. He finds his convictions and beliefs challenged by the
nearly blind bounty hunter, Praxis who accompanies him. Can they learn
to work together to uncover the identity of a murderer?

Jeanine Berry's Well of Forever is set in the forgotten desert city of
Maric where forbidden magic lies hidden from all but the seeress,
Caireya. A slave to the power-mad Demor, Caireya is willing to sacrifice
everything to save her world from his tyranny. First she must find the
long last wand of Lohar, the mage whose disappearance ushered in the
Cataclysm that nearly destroyed all of humanity. If she fails, Demor
will bring on the second Cataclysm.

The final story in the collection is
The Treasure of Arvalis by
Jeanne Allen.
Eirena's people have lived peacefully on the island of Ignatia for
generations. They never learned to fight because their goddess, Solone
protected them from all harm but they've forgotten the old ways and
Solone has fallen silent. In her absence, invaders come from the
mainland and overrun the island. The high priestess of the temple,
Eirena struggles to find a way to placate their goddess and save her
people from destruction.

Each story of the anthology transports
the reader to a vivid setting with strong characters. Choosing a
favorite out of the four stories would be impossible. Twilight Crossings II is well written and very enjoyable. The authors
have done a wonderful job of creating stories I'll reread many more
times.